Best Bets For The Week

March 14, 2013

Beatles night coming to Park Ridge March 15-16

Come together on March 15-16 and enjoy favorite Beatles tunes when veteran and young bands from Park Ridge perform live Beatles music on stage at Park Ridge Community Church, 100 S. Courtland Ave., Park Ridge. The opportunity to "twist and shout" begins at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday night.

Tickets are available at Park Ridge Community Church during business hours Monday through Friday or Allegro Music, 800 W. Devon Ave. Tickets are $10 in advance, $5 for students and $15 at the door.

Proceeds will benefit the Youth Ministry Fund at Park Ridge Community Church, which supports youth mission trips, activities, and community outreach programs. For more information, go to prccyouth.org.

Park Ridge Community Church is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. For more information, go to parkridgecommunitychurch.org.

Shake Your Shamrocks — Zumba Fitness Party

The Zumba community is celebrating St. Patrick's Day with this event. Bring a new-to-Zumba friend along to this event, and admission is free. Attendees are encouraged to wear green. There will be a St. Patty's Day costume contest. The program will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, March 16 at St. Andrews Church Gym, 260 N. Northwest Hwy., Park Ridge. For information, call 847-823-9308.

Arlington Camera Club to meet March 20

On Wednesday, March 20, the Arlington Camera Club will hold a presentation on Street Photography by John Kinyon. Street photography includes photos captured in everyday life in a candid way — which tell a story. Club members will be sharing their street photos as part of this program. Guests are welcome to attend, and there is no cost for this photo workshop. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Christian Church of Arlington Height, 333 W. Thomas Ave., Arlington Heights.

The Arlington Camera Club meets twice a month at the Christian Church of Arlington Heights. Membership is open to anyone interested in photography. Details are available at arlingtoncameraclub.org.

Dennis Downes Solo Art Exhibit at The Grove's Redfield Estate

The Redfield Estate at The Grove, 1421 Milwaukee Ave., will host a solo showing of original paintings and sculptures by internationally known Lake County Painter/Sculptor Dennis M. Downes from Thursday, March 21 through Sunday, March 24.

As a special feature of the show, there will be a comprehensive Trail Marker Tree exhibit on display based on Mr. Downes' extensive research. Exhibit hours are from 5 to 10 p.m. on March 21; 1 to 10 p.m. March 22; 1 to 10 p.m. March 23 and noon to 5 p.m. March 24. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served.

This is the 13th year The Grove has held this exhibition displaying Downes' work. Downes has enjoyed a long career in fine art with private and public shows throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Most recently, Downes was honored as the 2012 Glenbrook North High School Alumni of the Year. He has received numerous awards and proclamations in recognition of both his artistic accomplishments, and solid research resulting in the publication of his book, "Native American Trail Marker Trees: Marking Paths Through the Wilderness." With a special interest in natural history and a deep affection for Native American traditions, Downes' work features outdoor landscapes and wildlife settings.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of Downes' art pieces will be donated to support The Grove. For more information about the exhibit, call 847-298-0095 or go to downesstudio.net.

Blood drive in Park Ridge March 24

The Holy Family Guild of St. Paul of the Cross Church, in partnership with the American Red Cross, is sponsoring its annual Blood Drive on Sunday, March 24. The hours are 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Morello Parish Life Center, 320 S. Washington, Park Ridge.

Most persons in good health are eligible to donate blood, and all donors are given a health assessment prior to donation. High school students and donors under the age of 19 need to meet certain height and weight requirements. All donors must present valid photo identification, and should eat a healthy meal and drink extra water prior to donating.

Making an appointment in advance is highly recommended for several reasons. The Red Cross sends a certain number of blood drive staff, based solely on the number of advance appointments. Donors with appointments will proceed through the blood drive stations faster than those without. Appointments also help manage the overall drive, because they space out the flow of donors. For those who do not make an appointment, walk-ins will be accepted after 10:30 a.m.

For questions or to make an appointment, call Dolores Vonderheide at 847-704-0210; call 800-733-2767; or go to redcrossblood.org.

Doggy Egg Hunt in Elk Grove Village

Local residents can bring their dog to the annual Doggy Egg Hunt. This year, the event will be held on Saturday, March 16 at the Al Hattendorf Center. Plastic eggs will be hidden throughout the field for dogs to sniff out the treats hidden inside the eggs. Attendees can dress up their dog in their finest spring outfits and have them participate in the costume parade. There is an agility course for your dog to enjoy and every dog gets a nice prize bag. Dogs smaller than 30 pounds come from 9 to 9:45 a.m., and dogs larger than 30 pounds come from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Registration is required; no walk-up registrations will be accepted. Elk Grove residents are $10 per dog and nonresidents are $15 per dog. The Al Hattendorf Center is located at 225 E. Elk Grove Blvd., in Elk Grove Village. Call 847-364-7224 for more information.